(WCSN Photo: Nicholas Badders)
After securing their first team win of the season at the Isleworth Invitational, No. 2 Arizona State Men’s Golf looks to sustain their momentum as they head into this week’s tournament in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Devils will be competing for the East Lake Cup at the prestigious East Lake Golf Club; the course has been around since 1904, making it the oldest course in Atlanta consisting of 7,346 yards.
The tournament begins Monday, Oct. 25, as the tournament opens up with stroke play that’ll then determine seeding for match play which will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday.
As the winter season reaches its end, this week’s tournament will allow Arizona State to make one last statement on their resume heading into January.
This year, the East Lake Cup consists of: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Arizona State, No. 4 Oklahoma State, and the reigning National Champions, No. 9 Pepperdine. With a victory at East Lake this week, Arizona State is likely to finish their winter season ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Sun Devils are going to have to bring their best game as they look to dethrone No.1 Oklahoma who previously defeated them at the Maridoe Collegiate Invitational.
But Arizona State is no stranger to playing phenomenal golf week in and week out. Head coach Matt Thurmond touched on this following the Isleworth Invitational.
“We have been able to bring it pretty much every round, and that’s hard to do. We have played really tough courses, all of them, no breaks yet and we’re not going to have a break at East Lake obviously.”
The Sun Devils look to pick up right where they left off finishing 11-under this past week at Isleworth. They look to build off of strong performances led by senior Cameron Sisk, and freshman Preston Summerhays.
Sisk, who is arguably the best collegiate golfer so far this season, finished tied for fifth at Isleworth at four-under. Right behind him was the young golfer, Summerhays who has recently found his stride early on in his freshman season. He tied for an eighth-place finish at three-under and hit the putt to seal a victory for the Sun Devils.
This two-month stretch of tough and competitive golf is as daunting of a task a coach could ask for from its team; however, Thurmond’s Sun Devils have risen to the occasion every tournament.
Though this winter season has already shown great promise, a win at East Lake would be crucial for Arizona State.
Thurmond mentioned he would love for the Sun Devils to be ranked #1 going into the spring.
“You gotta sit on a ranking all winter, I wouldn’t mind sitting on number one,” he said.
